To Extened Our Reach To The Stars Above
by Friezaess
Summary: A TRagedy. I can't say much without ruining the plot, but it's Rocketshippy. Please R&R :)


**TO EXTENED OUR REACH TO THE STARS ABOVE**

****

Author's note: Despite my love for writing funny fics and paradoys, this time 'round I've decided to take a break from all that and do a drama. Enjoy! Oh yeah, and I don't own Pokemon.

"Looks like we're blasting off again!" Team Rocket cried, as they were once again set soaring into the wild blue yonder by Pikachu's thunder-shock. They landed almost a kilometer away, their fall broken by the branches of a thorny tree.  
"Me-OUCH!!" The little cat pokemon yelped, copping a backside full of thorns. His human counterparts were not exactly comfortable either, and though their uniforms helped shield most of the tree's thorns, they still had their fair share of scratches. Jessie was quick to climb down the tree and onto the ground, complaining all the way.  
"James, this is all your fault!" She snapped to her partner, who made his way down the tree just in time to receive the full force of her anger.  
"MY fault?!" He replied. "If you hadn't decided to stay and gloat to the twerps we'd be half way to the Boss with Pikachu by now!" His mood was distinctively more sour than usual. He had thought that he had done everything according to plan, and that there was no way Jessie could blame all this on him. After all, he had put hours into digging and covering a pit in the middle of the road whilst Jessie had just stood around and barked orders. She wouldn't even give him a break when he felt like he could collapse from heat exhaustion.  
"But YOU were the one who dug the stupid hole!" She yelled back, irritated. "If you hadn't been so damn lazy and had dug deeper, that little yellow rodent would never of been able to climb out and shock us!" How could he be saying this was her fault? She had spent a long time coming up with the blueprint for their trap, perfecting every last detail, whilst James had been mucking around playing 'I spy' with Meowth.  
"Well at least I actually did something, you just sat back and watched me do all the manual labour! Just like you always do. You're so lazy, Jessie!" 

Jessie was obviously upset by his comment, and was about to whack him when Meowth intervened.  
"Hey fellas, quit arguin'!" He pleaded, jumping down from the tree's branches and landing gracefully on his feet. "Alright, so we blew it dis time, but we gotta start lookin' towards da future and start plannin' our next attack!"   
"Huh, why bother, James'll just screw it up again anyway." Jessie snorted, turning her back on them both and folding her arms. 

James' face fell at her harsh comment. Why was she always so mean to him? Didn't she realise how much he loved her? He was always trying to show his affection for her- clinging to her when they were frightened, complimenting her, and always forgiving her when she beat him up. Yet she seemed to care for him about as much as the dirt they were standing on. He was getting quite fed up with her attitude.  
"If anyone's going to screw it up it'll be you, Jessie!" He protested. "You always act like you're Miss High-And-Mighty, yelling at me and Meowth all the time and beating us up. Well I'm sick of it! For God's sakes, grow up and take some responsibility for yourself!" Jessie was a little hurt hearing such words from the man she loved. She had never heard him speak to her like that before. Was he beginning to hate her? She didn't mean to be so aggressive, but she had become used to masking her emotions with hate and anger. 

This situation was no different, and Jessie quickly turned her sadness into rage. "Why you!" Jessie pulled out her fan and lunged to whack James over the head with it. Then he did something she had not been prepared for- he blocked it. The force of the impact sent the fan flying from Jessie's hand, and in the heat of the moment, James grabbed it.   
"How does it feel, Jessica?!" He growled, and slapped her across the face with the makeshift weapon. Jessie instinctively put her hand to her face, and took a few steps back. Meowth just looked on, his eyes wide and his mouth open. He had never seen James do anything violent before, save when the feline had been playing up and received a few soft slaps from him. Nothing like this. 

Calmer now, James just then realized his actions. He had just whacked his best friend, his love, across her face. He went a little pale, and dropped the fan. But before he could make his profound apology, Jessie had ran off into the surrounding wilderness. She didn't want him to see her cry. 

"Yikes!" Meowth commented to the remaining Rocket. "I didn't see dat one coming!" James sat down on the ground.  
"I didn't mean it." He said softly. "I really didn't mean it. My anger got the best of me, it was in the heat of the moment."  
His feline friend sat down next to him.  
"She'll get over it." He said encouragingly.   
"Maybe." Came the sad reply. He looked up into the sky. "I'm sorry, Jessie." 

The woman in question was a couple of minutes away, sitting against a tree in a clearing and staring into her compact mirror. The mark from the fan had left a red mark across her face. Jessie thought about how many times she had hit James. She was now the one on the receiving end. The tears on her cheeks were not the result of the physical pain she felt- she was tough enough to overcome that quite quickly. No, the reason she cried was because she felt that James now resented her.   
"And he has every right to hate me." She whispered to herself, reflecting on all the times she had acted so terribly towards him. Jessie pulled her knees to her. "I don't deserve him." She muttered between sobs. "I don't deserve love." The female member of Team Rocket lay down on the grass, curled up in a tight ball to try and comfort herself. She sighed and closed her eyes. Her head had started to hurt quite badly, and she was not feeling well. In fact, Jessie had been feeling light headed all day, and the night before. She closed her eyes. 

James and Meowth were beginning to set up camp in the same area that the fight had taken place. James had wanted to go after Jessie, but Meowth managed to convince him that she needed some time to herself. Both moved in silence as they unloaded the balloon which, as usual, James had been able to guide to their exact location using a remote control he always had hidden on him. He rolled out the sleeping bags whilst Meowth rummaged through their things in hope of finding something decent to eat. He managed to find two of tins of pumpkin soup that were already a week past their used-by date. At least it wasn't long until they received their paycheques from the Boss- then they could go and restock their supplies. James finished setting up where they would sleep, and looked at his watch- 5:51pm. Time to get a fire going before it got late.  
"Meowth, I'm going to find some firewood." He said, walking off into the forest as his friend climbed out of the balloon with their dinner.  
"Alright," the pokemon replied, "but don't be too long! I'm getting hungry." Meowth sat down on a nearby log, using the two cans of soup as a footstool. "I hope he find Jessie while he's out dere." He thought to himself. Despite his normally rough attitude, he really did care about his friends, and though their fighting was sometimes amusing, serious fights like this made him feel depressed. Jessie and James were all he had in the world. 

Meowth was going to have to wait a while for his dinner, though, because twenty minutes later James was still looking through the scrub. Any other time he went out for firewood he would be back with in five minutes, if not less. But this time, he wasn't looking for firewood. He was looking for Jessie. He just could not let her spend the whole night out in the unfamiliar wilderness, all alone. James sighed, as a single thought passed through his mind- she probably hated him now. He still couldn't believe what he had done.   
"Now there's no way she'll love me." He thought to himself. "I'm just a spineless coward. But Jessie she's brave and strong, not to mention beautiful. She could be out going to parties, maybe even be a model. Yet she still stays with me and Meowth, chasing after little yellow rats. She's such a good friend." He though for a moment. Yes, she was a wonderful friend. A friend, and nothing more. James hung his head. 

The young Rocket's thoughts were interrupted when he spotted Jessie, still lying on the grass. His Jessie. James sat down next to her, reluctant to wake her. But he would rather get her back to the camp now rather than spend hours trying to find their way back on the dark. He shook her gently.  
"Rise and shine." He said in a soft voice. She did not stir. "She must be really tired." He thought. He waited a moment, then shook her again, this time a little harder. Still no response.  
"Jess?" Only then did James notice her face- it was a ghostly white. "Jessie?!" He yelled, worrying. When he still got no response, he pulled off his gloves put the back of his hand under her nose to see if she was still breathing. He felt an ever so slight breeze against his hand, and went to check her pulse. It was so faint that he had difficulty finding it.  
"Oh shit!" He gasped, trying to stay calm. He pulled out his mobile phone, and was about to call the Team Rocket base for medical assistance, but stopped when he remembered how far away the base was. It was not even in the same town they were currently residing in. Instead, James dialed the city's emergency number and ordered an ambulance, giving them quite accurate directions considering they were in the middle of nowhere.  
"Hang on, Jess." He whispered to his love, taking her in his arms. He took off his and Jessie's jackets with the big red 'R' on them and threw them into some near by bushes, so that when the ambulance arrived, it would not recognize them as members of the elite criminal organization. The last thing the needed was a prison sentence. What was wrong with her? He couldn't even try to help her if he didn't know what was wrong. Instead, he simply rocked her in his arms, as if it would somehow sooth her. Her face, though shockingly pale, was still beautiful. He could not remember the number of times he had gazed at her as she slept. He loved watching her sleep. Unless she was having a nightmare, she never looked angry or irritated. She just looked serene and peaceful. And with her make up off, her natural beauty shined through. She reminded him of an angel his angel his Jessie. If anything ever happened to her he quickly dismissed the thought. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the distant sound of sirens, getting closer by the second. At least the hospital was only five minutes away. It was a good thing they had landed so close to the city.   
"She'll be fine." James thought to himself, holding her closer. "She's strong. She'll probably wake up in a few minutes and start yelling at me for holding her." He smiled, but frowned when he looked at her face more closely. There was still a faint pink mark on her cheek from the incident earlier on. He hadn't realized he had hit her that hard. He felt sick as he recalled the event. 

The ambulance roared into the clearing, and the driver got out of the van, followed by two paramedics from the back of the vehicle who were armed with a stretcher.  
"Is this the patient?" He asked James, gesturing to the woman in his arms. He nodded, relinquishing his hold on her as the paramedics lifted her onto the stretcher.   
"Would you like a lift to the hospital?" One of them asked.   
"Yes please." James replied, and the driver showed him to the passenger's seat. Meowth arrived just in time to see the paramedics taking Jessie into the back of the ambulance. James was just about to shut the passenger side door, when his furry friend ran up to him.  
"Hey, what's goin' on?" He demanded. "I came here thinkin' dem sirens was da cops, and I was gonna warn yas. Now I find Jessie in da back of an ambulance?" The driver slammed his door, and started the engine.  
"We gotta go." He told James, who was closing his door and winding down the window so his accomplice could hear him.  
"Meowth, pack up our stuff and meet us at the hospital." James instructed. "I'll explain everything there, alright?" And before Mewoth could say another word, the ambulance drove off, sirens howling. He stood there for a moment, more than a little confused, before quickly making his way back to the camp to do as James had said. What was wrong with Jessie? He knew that it had to be serious, not only because of the ambulance but because of the look on James' face. He had looked extremely worried, and quite frightened. The cat pokemon panted, getting back to camp in record time, and immediately started to pack up their belongings.  
"I hope she's okay." He said aloud, rolling up the sleeping bags. 

* * * 

James sat in the waiting room at the hospital, caught in the same daze he had been in during the whole journey in the ambulance. He could not even think straight enough to worry about what might happen. Instead, he just waited anxiously for a doctor to come out and tell him what was wrong with Jessie. He was the only one in the waiting room, save a little Eevee, who was curled up asleep on a chair whilst its master underwent surgery. Any other time he might have tried to steal it, but this time the thought did not even cross his mind. James sighed and looked out a large near-by window. The last of the sun's rays had disappeared from sight. He glanced at his watch, which read 7:15. He had been here for about half an hour, and there was still no sign of Meowth. Just then, the door opened and James saw a familiar group of people and their pokemon walk in the hospital's doors, and went up to the desk in the reception area. The twerps. Ash, who could barely walk, was being supported by Misty and Brock, whilst Pikachu was jumping around nervously. They said something to the woman behind the counter, before following her down a corridor. What were they doing here? Not long after James started to wonder about the situation, his furry friend finally made his way into the hospital and ran up to him.  
"James!" He yelled. "What's goin' on here? Where's Jessie?"  
"The doctors took her down that way on a stretcher." James replied, pointing down a corridor. "I don't know what's wrong with her. I think they're doing some tests."  
Meowth paused for a moment. "Is she gonna be okay?" His friend shrugged, not really in the mood for talking. 

Unfortunately for him, though, he was going to get into quite a heated conversation, for just then, the twerps emerged from one of the wards. Ash was on crutches, and his friends were by his side. It was Misty who first spotted the two Rockets.  
"Hey, it's them!" She yelled, racing up to where the two sat, leaving Brock to help Ash on his crutches. "It's because of you that Ash twisted his ankle!" The girl screeched, accusingly pointing her finger at them. "When we fell into that stupid pit you guys dug, his leg got caught under him, and because we had to climb out, I totally ruined my manicure!" She stopped talking when she realized James was paying her absolutely no attention whatsoever, staring vacantly into space instead. Meowth, however, was on the verge of fury swiping her.  
"Look, we're kinda in da middle o' somethin' here," he stated, "so why don't you three twerps get da hell outta here before I use yas as a scratchin' post!" Ash, Brock and Pikachu caught up with Misty.  
"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Brock asked.  
"Probably trying to steal some pokemon, as usual!" Ash replied. James glared at the youngsters.  
"For your information," He hissed, "I've got more important things to do right now than steal a bunch of furballs!"  
The Twerp Trio paused for a moment.  
"Then what are you doing?" Misty snapped. James felt that that was none of their business, but knew that unless he answered, they would keep bugging him.  
"It's Jessie." He said softly, staring at the floor. "We got into a fight and she ran off. When I found her, she was unconscious and hardly breathing. I could barely even find a pulse." He waited for a some sort of smart comment from his enemies, but they said nothing. Ash looked at Misty and Misty looked at Brock.   
"Is she going to be alright?" The older of the three asked.   
"I don't know." Came the reply. Another awkward silence passed, before Misty walked up to James and put a hand on his shoulder.   
"I'm sure she'll be fine." She said reassuringly. "We'll leave you alone." And with that, she gestured for her friends to move out of the hospital. Not a word passed between them as they made their way back to their camp. 

Meowth jumped up on the chair next to James.  
"As much as I hate those twerps, she's right." He told his partner in crime. "Jessie's tough, she'll over come this." James just nodded.  
"Yeah, I suppose."  
Just then, Nurse Joy walked up to the pair.  
"Mr.?"  
"James," said person spoke, standing up from his seat, "just call me James. How's Jessie? What's wrong with her?"  
"Yeah!" Meowth said. "She's gonna be okay, right?"  
Nurse Joy was surprised when the cat pokemon started talking like a human, but decided to let it pass. She had to tell them about the situation.  
"I'm afraid it's not good." She replied. "Jessie has a genetic defect in the part of her brain that controls unconscious functions, like her heart beating and her breathing."  
"So what are you going to do to fix it?" James asked. Joy pursed her lips.  
"There's not really much we can do, sir." She replied. "We can put her on life support, but it would only buy her a few extra hours, during which she would be brain dead anyway." James felt his knees turn to jelly, and he fell back into his seat. Meowth was still confused.  
"Dis is crazy!" He snapped. "She's been perfectly fine all dese years, even through electrocutions, bombs and being blasted off!"  
"There aren't usually any obvious symptoms, aside from occasional drowsiness." Joy replied, then turned to James. He sighed, almost afraid to ask the question on his mind.  
"How long does she have left?" He finally managed to speak.  
"We suspect it will get worse in a few hours." Joy said. "Then she'll just close her eyes like she's going to sleep and slip away. It won't be painful. The doctors are just finishing doing their tests. I'll come out and get you when you can go and see her." She turned to leave. "I'm sorry." She said, sympathy in her tone, and then went on her way.  
Meowth watched her leave, then sadly shook his head.  
"Not Jess. She's too tough to let somethin' like this beat her." He said, trying convince both James and himself. "I bet dat before we know it, she'll be out here whackin' us with her fan for worryin'." Jessie and James were Meowth's two very best friends, and the thought of losing either one of him made him feel sick. Putting on a brave face, he started to walk away.  
"I'm goin' down to da cafeteria, ya want anything, Jimmy?" James shook his head, and his friend went to get some dinner. 

* * * 

Jessie opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling of her allocated room in the hospital. Where was she? What had happened? Looking to her left, she saw a doctor scribbling something onto a chart. When he looked up, he saw that her eyes were open.  
"I see you're awake." He said, putting his pen back in his shirt pocket.  
"Where am I?" She asked, feeling rather weak.  
"You're in the hospital." He replied. "You were brought in by a young man with blue hair, about your age."  
*James.* She thought. "But why am I here?" The doctor frowned, and pulled an old wooden chair up to her bedside to explain the situation to her. 

Meowth stared into his dinner, consisting of a plate of lukewarm chips and tomato sauce. At least hospital food was within his price range. The day they received their wages for the month would be much anticipated. The thought of his occupation brought another realization to mind- the Boss. It was regulation to report any kind of serious injury or hospitalization to the Head Quarters immediately. Not that it was usually necessary, considering that the vast majority of the time such cases were brought to the Team Rocket hospital back at the base. Giovanni would probably get mad at them for putting Jessie into a public hospital, for if it was found out that she was a Rocket, the police could trace her back to the main Head Quarters and shut down the organization. Meowth decided to wait a while until he and James informed them of Jessie's predicament.   
"Just until Jessie gets better." He said to himself, finishing off his chips and getting a coffee to take back to James. "I wonder how he's takin' it." The cat pokemon wondered on his way back to the waiting room. He had seen the way that his two human friends looked at each other. It was a bond that went deeper than friendship. They were in love, plain and simple, and he wished that they would just stop with the tomfoolery and admit it to each other. 

James had his head in his hands, and looked as if he was half-asleep. But he knew it would be a miracle if he got to sleep tonight, or the nights to come. He wanted to cry, but the tears just would not come. Was Jessie - his Jessie - really going to he did not even want to think about it, trying hard to deny it. After all, like Meowth had said, Jessie was one tough biccy. But what if she really did die? James thought back to their fight earlier that day. He had not meant to hit her. The moment the fan came into contact with her face he had regretted it. And now she was here. James hoped and hoped that, through some miracle, Jessie would forgive him.   
"Not that I deserve it." He thought to himself. He just thought it would make it easier for her if her last while on Earth was free of tension and anger. James had spent almost half his lifetime with her. No matter what obstacles they had faced, she had been right there by his side the whole time. They had been through so much together, and James felt that so long as he had Jessie with him, he could take on the world. Like the time they had been aboard the burning Saint Anne. He had been so terrified to cross to safety on Bulbasaur's vines. In fact, that was the only time in his whole life that he truly thought he was going to die. But Jessie had stayed right there by his side, refusing to leave him, and it was because of her that he had lived. 

One time James had worried that he might have lost her. The time when he was about to be forcibly betrothed to Jessiebell, the devil in disguise. After he had escaped from her and gotten into the Mewoth balloon, he had thought that Jessie and Meowth were long gone, and that he might never see them again. But he eventually spotted them, walking with their heads down. Jessie had looked particularly sad that day. And then he had swooped down in the balloon and pulled her on board, sailing off into the sunset with his beloved. They had stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. He often found himself lost in those beautiful blue eyes of hers. Jessie 

"How are ya doin'?" A familiar voice asked, and James looked up to find Meowth staring up at him, holding a foam cup. He blinked a few times- for a moment he had been so caught up in his day dreaming that he had forgotten where he was. Meowth handed him the still-warm cup.  
"Thanks." He said, putting it on a nearby coffee table for the moment. Meowth clambered up on to the chair next to James, who looked at him with a sad seriousness.  
"What are we going to do without her?" He asked, partially to himself. "The three of us have been through so much together. She's always been the strong one and" James stopped, knowing that if he continued, he would start to cry. Meowth seemed to sense his feelings, and put a comforting paw on his shoulder. Seeing the short-tempered pokemon being so sympathetic was a rarity, but under the circumstances, James hardly even thought about it.  
"Let's not think about dat right now." He said. "Jessie's still with us for now, let's make the most of the time we have left with her." Meowth paused for a moment, briefly debating with himself weather or not to ask the question on his mind, but finally managed to ask. "Are you gonna tell her you love her?" James shuffled about in his chair and closed his eyes, not wanting to make eye contact.  
"Maybe." He replied. The cat decided not to push anymore. 

When James opened his eyes again, he saw Nurse Joy approaching him and his friend.  
"You can see her now." She said, gesturing for them to follow her. Meowth was quick to abide, but James hesitated.  
"You go in first, Meowth." He finally said. "I don't want to start blubbering all over her. I'll be in later." Meowth paused for a moment, then nodded, understanding how James felt. He followed Nurse Joy down one of the wards and into Jessie's room. It was a small room, furnished only with a bed and a chair, but it was cozy. A large window near Jessie's bed allowed her to see out into the tops of the trees surrounding the hospital.  
"Just press the assistance button if she needs anything." Joy said before leaving, closing the door on her way out. Jessie summoned the energy to sit up in bed to greet her friend. He could see that her eyes were red from crying.  
"Hi, old buddy." She said weakly, a sad smile on her face. The sight of her almost brought Meowth to tears, and he jumped up onto her bed and gave her a big hug. Normally she would have whacked him, but now that the end was in sight, she had decided there was no need to cover her emotions as much as she was used to. Instead, she returned the hug.  
"Aw, Jess." He pined, burying his furry little head into her shoulder for comfort._ "Pull yourself together, Meowth,"_ He thought to himself, _"this is the last thing she needs!"_ Getting a grip of himself, the pokemon sat down on the bed next to his good friend.  
"So how are ya doin'?" He asked her, knowing full well how pathetic that question was.  
"Ah, I've been better." She answered, giving him a pat on the head. It was comforting having such a good friend there with her. "Where's James?"  
"He's still takin' it all in." Meowth responded, sighing. A silence broke their conversation before he spoke up again. "We've had some good times together, huh?" Jessie smiled. He had never seen her this friendly.  
"Yeah, we sure have." She replied thoughtfully. "Every day has been a new adventure. Even getting into fights with the twerps has had its fun parts. I'm just glad I've had you and James to share all those experiences with." 

Meowth and Jessie talked for a long time about everything and anything. They reflected upon the time when Giovanni had first sent Meowth to work with the bike gang fresh Jessie and James, and how much of a push over his Persian was. They laughed about Meowth's love for fried chicken, Jessie's love for hairspray, and James's love for bottle caps. Even the most pointless topics came up in conversation, like how everything in hospitals was always white, and why massive ships could float whilst tiny pebbles sank. Eventually, the conversation slowed down a bit, and they found themselves talking about their main activity.  
"So how many times do you think we've tried to catch that twerp's Pikachu?" Jessie wondered.  
"I dunno," came the reply, "but I think we've absorbed so much electricity, we could power a small town for a month!" They looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. There were many words to describe their lives, but boring was certainly not one of them. Regaining their composure, the pair grinned, and Jessie patted Meowth on the head. He knew it was time to say his goodbye.   
"Well, I'd better stop hoggin' ya and let James have his turn." The pokemon said, knowing that she deserved to spend the remainder of her time with her beloved.  
"Alright." Jessie replied sadly. She was going to miss him a lot- that is, if you could miss someone when you are in the afterlife.  
"I'll never forget ya, Jess." Meowth said, biting his lip. "You're like family to me, and I'm always gonna miss ya."  
"Thank you for being such a great friend." She said back, and the two embraced. When they let each other go, Meowth hopped down from her bed, and made his way to the door. As he opened it, he looked back on Jessie one last time.  
"I'll see ya when I see ya den."   
"Yeah catch ya later, old friend."  
Meowth smiled sadly and left. He had made it no more than three paces before he broke down and cried. 

* * * 

Jessie looked out her window. It was a full moon that night. Her eyes wandered across the sky, laden with a blanket of stars. She smiled as she remembered something her mother used to tell her.  
_'If anything ever happens to me, I'll be watching over you from the stars.'_  
"Hi Mum." She murmured, mesmerised by the stars. She then closed her eyes, and said a little prayer.  
"Dear God,  
I know I've done a lot of bad stuff in my life, and I know I've caused a lot of people a lot of trouble. I always thought that I could change my ways later on in life, but here I am on my deathbed, and I've done nothing to make up for it. All I can think of to say is that I'm sorry. Really I am. I ask for your forgiveness for all the terrible things I've done. Please keep James and Meowth in your care, and me too when my time comes. Thank you.  
Amen." 

* * * 

James stood up when he saw Meowth, who was still wiping away tears, walk back into the waiting room.  
"Your turn, Jim." He whimpered, climbing onto a seat and curling up.  
"Are you okay?" James asked the pokemon, who simply nodded in reply. The young man sat back down in his seat. "I can't go in there." He finally announced. Meowth lifted his head, rather surprised.  
"What? Whaddaya mean?"  
"Why would she want to spend her last moments with me after what happened today?"  
Meowth got up, and whacked James on the head.  
"Listen ya moron, she's in dere waitin' for ya ta see her. When I was with her, she wasn't complainin' about what a ninny you were, she was reflecting on all da good times we've had togedder. Jessie's not mad at ya, James. And you're da one she needs with her when her time comes." James thought for a moment.  
"Do you think so?" He asked.  
"I know so." Came the confident reply. "Now go in dere, and enjoy the time you have left with her." The blue-haired Rocket took one last look at his friend before finally heading down to where Nurse Joy had told him Jessie was. As he walked along, his mind was entangled in a web of thoughts. What would he say? Would it ruin her last few hours on Earth if he told her he loved her? What if he never told her? And what if Meowth was wrong and she really did hate him? However, all these thoughts subsided like the tide the moment he walked into her room. She was lying down, no longer having the energy to sit up.  
"James?" She said softly. "Can you please turn the light off? I think that the moonlight will be enough." James obeyed, and sure enough, as soon as he turned off the light, the room was dimly lit with the moon's beautiful beams. He walked over to her bedside and sat down on the wooden chair. She looked like a goddess in this light.  
"Jessie." He whispered, as he wrapped his hand around hers. "I'm so sorry about what happened earlier today. I was such an idiot, I didn't mean to do it, I swear. I'd never hurt you on purpose and-."   
"Shhh. James, don't worry about it." She hushed soothingly. "I'm just sorry about the way I've treated you all these years. I mean, how could you put up with me?"  
"It's easier than you think." James smiled lovingly. He reflected for a moment. "We've been through so much together."  
"Yeah." She answered. "Ever since Pokemon Tech. It's hard to believe that was eight whole years ago." Her partner nodded.  
"We've been together for such a long time." He said, looking down at her. Her eyes were so beautiful. They reminded him of a deep, deep ocean, one he could swim in and be lost in forever and ever. She returned the gaze. There was a look in his eyes she had never seen before, one which she could only describe as warm and loving. Time seemed to stand still for the two unrequited lovers as they looked into each other's eyes; just like it had the time in the hot air balloon after hey had escaped Jessiebell. They both felt as though they could be lost in each other's gaze for an eternity. 

James knew that it was now or never. He leaned over and gently stroked her forehead.  
"Jessie," He said tenderly, "I love you." Jessie closed her eyes as his words echoed throughout her mind. Had he just said what she had been waiting years to hear? Yes, he had. When she opened her eyes to reply, what she said came automatically.  
"I love you too, James. So much." James leaned down, and the couple kissed a kiss they had been waiting a long time for. When their lips finally parted, Jessie moved over in her bed.  
"Come here." She motioned to James. He climbed into bed next to his loved one, and pulled her into his embrace. Jessie wriggled as close as she possibly could to him, and for a few minutes, they just lay there, enjoying the warmth and feel of each other's bodies. Never before had they felt so content. It didn't matter what lay ahead, because right now, they were safe in each other's arms.  
"James," Jessie said, breaking the silence, "if anything ever happens to me, I'll be watching over you from the stars." Her loved one replied by kissing her hair, and softly stroking her cheek. "You know what we should do?" She asked. "We should ask the Boss for a holiday. God knows we deserve one."  
"Yeah." James answered. "We can go to the beach where it's nice and warm, and just kick back."  
"And then," Jessie continued, "We can ditch Meowth and have some 'alone time'" Her gaze once again met James's, and as was before, they kissed for what seemed a lifetime. Their hearts beat in time with each other. When they broke the kiss, Jessie put her arms around James' neck.   
"Tell me what we're going to do." She said, her voice full of hope. "Tell me about all the good times that lie ahead."  
"Well," James replied, resting his chin on her head, "after we get back from the best holiday of our lives, we'll quit Team Rocket. Then, I'll get you a beautiful engagement ring, and we'll get married at a lovely old church, and lots of people will attend. And then we'll get a nice little house and start a family. We can even have Meowth as a pet!" Jessie giggled, snuggling closer to him. He could feel her heartbeat against him. "We'll love our kids, and they'll love us. And years from now, when we're a hundred years old with tonnes of great great grandchildren, we'll look back on our lives together and think about how lucky we were to have had each other." James looked down at Jessie. He could feel her heartbeat slow down. They gazed into each other's eyes one last time.  
"Prepare for trouble." Jessie whispered. "I love you James."  
"Make it double." He replied tenderly. "I love you too, Jessie." She sighed, and closed her eyes in both tiredness and contentment. A few moments later, James could no longer feel her heart beating against him. Jessie was gone. 

* * *

James held onto his beloved long into the night. It was past midnight when he finally got out of bed, and tucked her in as if she was going to sleep. He kissed her on the forehead.  
"Goodbye, my love." He whispered as the tears began to fall. He looked out the window through which the moonlight spilled. The stars were shining brightly tonight. Jessie's words echoed in his head. _'If anything ever happens to me, I'll be watching over you from the stars.' _He leaned over the bed and put his hand to the glass, reaching out to the stars. _"To extend our reach to the stars above."_ He thought. "I'll always love you, my Jessie." James whispered to the celestial bodies. As if in response, a bright star twinkled in the night sky. He smiled sadly. "Always."  
  
  



End file.
